


Our bones may turn to stone but hearts like ours don‘t rust

by Valkrist (Anouk_Tyrell)



Series: Peaky Blinders Rare Pair Bingo 2020 [7]
Category: Peaky Blinders (TV)
Genre: CUTIE PIE, Cyril power, M/M, Margate, Post-Season/Series 05, Tenderness, are there other good tags? idk
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-07
Updated: 2020-08-07
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:20:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,001
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25765087
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anouk_Tyrell/pseuds/Valkrist
Summary: The dunes, the water, the sand, it was all calming. Ollie simply couldn’t get used to it after having spend so much time in London, knowing all the dirt of Camden. Muddy shoes, blood, he had seen it all, even though it was way better than Birmingham, if Alfie was to be believed.Alfie definitely was the right man to listen to when it was all about some good stories. He surely liked to exaggerate, to make everything more dramatic and exciting, but Ollie couldn’t complain. He could spend hours listening to his rambling, memorizing all the little details, even if some of them seemed to be too abstract, not that realistic.
Relationships: Alfie Solomons/Ollie
Series: Peaky Blinders Rare Pair Bingo 2020 [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1837063
Comments: 4
Kudos: 9
Collections: Peaky Blinders Rare Pair Bingo 2020





	Our bones may turn to stone but hearts like ours don‘t rust

**Author's Note:**

> Hello my friends :D
> 
> Another bingo work, “character transformation" this time. Means Alfie and Ollie are old now, haha. Don‘t know what else to say.  
> Title from "Glass Walls" by Nik Ammar :)
> 
> Enjoy!

The coast was peaceful - and Ollie still couldn’t tell how he had ended up there.

The dunes, the water, the sand, it was all calming. Ollie simply couldn’t get used to it after having spend so much time in London, knowing all the dirt of Camden. Muddy shoes, blood, he had seen it all, even though it was way better than Birmingham, if Alfie was to be believed.  
Alfie definitely was the right man to listen to when it was all about some good stories. He surely liked to exaggerate, to make everything more dramatic and exciting, but Ollie couldn’t complain. He could spend hours listening to his rambling, memorizing all the little details, even if some of them seemed to be too abstract, not that realistic.  
But it was a part of their lives. Alfie had actually said it - seen this future with his glasses, as he would say - but Ollie hadn’t really believed him. We’ll grow old together, eh? An unusual sort of confession, not the typical way to talk about feelings - but was there anything typical about Alfie? Not at all. A London-raised gang leader, that’s what he was. Not the man to say I love you or let’s life together directly.  
We’ll grow old together. Ollie hadn’t known whether to laugh or cry back then. It all seemed to be unreal, like a joke, just a simple phrase Alfie hadn’t really thought about. And now it was real. They had retired. Didn’t need the business anymore, could rule stuff from afar. Was better than dying in a dark corner, shot by some idiot again. Could happen every second, actually, so retiring was good. Very good.

It had been up to Alfie to choose a lovely place to live, of course, and Margate it was. Had pretended to think about it for some days, but Ollie knew that he hadn’t. It was clear from the outset that he would choose it, having mentioned that place often enough. Beautiful sunsets, a nice harbor and a lovely balcony. Perfect for drinking tea and remembering the good old times. And a dog, of course. Always had a dog, this man. Needed this pets to walk around and shit so that he could take care of them. Kept him occupied, gave him some love. The most recent specimen answered to the name of Cyril. A mastiff, always following his master. A nice companion, even if he loved to eat way too much.  
Alfie was still the kind of grumpy man he had met many years ago, still the man to make witty remarks and speak Sarcastic fluently, but he really had managed to calm down - however that was possible. There was still a gun on the table, of course, but no terrible murders anymore. The others could take care of it, but not them. Retirement meant peace. Maybe helping the Shelby’s once or twice if it was really urgent, but not fighting on the battlefield anymore.  
Alfie liked to take long walks. Cyril would always remind him of them. He would sometimes be grumpy in the beginning, nearly asking Ollie to do it without him, but would talk himself into doing it nevertheless. Then they would be standing at the shore, looking at the water. Alfie would make some jokes, dog leash in one hand, the other arm wrapped around Ollie’s waist. Would brush his forehead with his lips and give him a peck on the cheek, being close and feeling his heartbeat.  
He also enjoyed the massages Ollie gave him. Always talked about his bad back and knees. Had done it for decades already, but it was more convincing with every year. Now he really was old, kind of worn out even. One reason more to get the oil, let his fingers wander over the muscles, hearing this whispered thank yous that were just too adorable. Alfie truly reacted to every touch, every movement, when Ollie took care of his neck, grabbed his shoulders and let his fingertips wander over his backbone, his back and sides. Circular movements seemed to feel best.

And he actually loved to cuddle, too. A lot, if Ollie was honest. Took every opportunity. Just approached him from behind when he was standing on the balcony, wrapping his arms around him. Sat down next to him on the sofa, touching his thigh or arm first before holding him tight. Lay down next to him in bed, deciding it was a good moment for some spooning again. Ruffled his hair, kissing him on the head.  
We belong together. He still didn’t manage to say I love you, but it was even more than that, wasn’t it? He belonged to Alfie, Alfie belonged to him, they had gone through so many things together and not given each other up. Maybe they had been annoying sometimes, nerve wrecking, but it didn’t matter anymore. Not when he suddenly felt home, started to love this things he never thought he would.  
Alfie was like a magician. Knew which buttons to press to make him feel happy, knew what to do to surprise him, knew how to calm him down if he started remembering horrible things. This power was even creepy at some points, but he didn’t want it to be any other way. He loved it all too much, found himself in this beautiful calmness. Found out how to open up.  
Sometimes Ollie would do the cooking and Alfie would show up, just pulling him close and nuzzling at his neck. Would even but up with burnt food if it meant having enough time with him. A funny thing to say when they spent their whole time together.  
And then, after it was all done, he would sit down on Alfie’s lap, wrapping his hands around his neck, kissing him deeply. Alfie would grunt first, mumbling something about his knees, but would forget about it after less than a second, just enjoying Ollie’s presence.

It was beautiful, having found their own Margate.

**Author's Note:**

> What do you think about this ship?  
> (And do you also love Margate scenes as much as I do?)
> 
> Tumblr: @valkrist


End file.
